Emotion Versus Logic
by DistantDaydreamer
Summary: Zach and the object of his affection are going to need a little help for a happy ending. ZachOC


"Zach? Zach. Zach!" He looks up from the femur on the table at the third repetition of his name.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan?" Brennan, Booth, and the rest of the squint squad are studying him intently.

"I asked you five seconds ago about the strange weakness of the femur. It would normally take you one to three seconds to form an answer, not five. You're preoccupied." Zach blinks twice before answering, shaking his head as though to clear an intellectual fog.

"The unusual fragility is due to a congenital condition. It will take further testing to determine which." He stammers, obviously still not quite there.

"That doesn't explain why you're so preoccupied." Booth points out.

"Yeah, you didn't even give me a dirty look when I claimed King of the Lab." It once again takes Zach a moment before replying.

"It was a faulty claim, I think." Now everyone's very confused.

"You think? You're always certain before making a statement!" Brennan says, completely taken aback. Angela steps a little closer, putting a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"What's going on, honey?" Zach opens his mouth, then thinks twice and shuts it.

"Umm…Zach? Hello?" Booth waves a hand in front of Zach's stony expression.

"Dr. Brennan was right. I am usually certain before speaking, but I cannot be certain on the source of my distraction. Therefore I cannot say anything." Booth, Angela, and Hodgins all roll their eyes.

"Dude, throw out a guess for once in your life. You're killing us here!" Hodgins prods, expressing the rest of the team's curiosity.

"Well, either it's due to a collective lack of sleep built up since college or…there's this girl." Brennan nods, satisfied, but the rest go on the offensive.

"Who? Please tell me it's not Naomi from Paleontology! She's _so_ not worth your time, Zach-man!"

"Well, what's wrong with Naomi? She's unquestionably good-looking." Booth and Hodgins exchange glances but neither reply.

"Anyway, who is she?"

"Her name is Mishael, she was in my first class my first day of college. I remember her exact words when she sat next to me. "You look about my age and we genii have to stick together. I'm Mishael. Mind if I sit?"Most people say geniuses incorrectly, but not her." Angela smiles at the dazed look on Zach's face as he recalls her words.

"That's so sweet. What did you say?"

"That it seemed logical enough." There's a group chuckle at Zach's characteristic response.

"And you stay in touch?"

"We e-mail each other twice a day, consistently, and we periodically speak over the phone. Mishael is moving here and she wants to have dinner."

"But that doesn't explain why you're unfocused." Brennan holds up her hands in surrender when Booth turns to her almost accusingly.

"Uh, yes it does! Zach likes this Michelle girl."

"Mishael. Michelle is the English derivative."

"Whatever. Point is, Zach likes a girl who may like him too. This is good. You know, Zach, maybe you can actually learn something about women…or humans in general." Brennan comes to the much bewildered Zach's defense.

"Zach knows plenty about _Homo Sapiens_!" Hodgins snorts.

"Yeah, about phalanges and tibias and stuff, not about anything that goes on in their heads, or anywhere else for that matter."

"That's not my fault!" Zach protests, starting to pace back and forth anxiously.

"Zach, you're pacing." Angela observes, amused. He stops, and then starts again.

"I understand that it's supposed to alleviate apprehension and surprisingly, it's working to some degree."

"So you do like this girl?" Hodgins asks, equally amused at the normally unruffled Zach practically wearing a track into the lab floor.

"I… I don't know. She's only two IQ points below me, and that level of intelligence is rare but she's so emotion driven. She likes soft science." He wrinkles his nose as though smelling something foul with the term "soft science."

"Well, opposites attract." Angela says cheerfully, but it only deepens the worry lines in Zach's forehead.

"Not really. Most species and cultures…" Brennan interrupts the technical speech soon to come, smiling at the subject of something that can be understood scientifically.

"No, no, Angela is right. It's the idea of binary opposites. Good vs. evil, life vs. death, God and the world, reason vs. emotion. Zach is practically logos, or logic, personified. It would make sense for him to be attracted to someone who embodies eros, or emotion. It's perfectly rational." Zach pales and quickens his pace and Booth sends Brennan a disgusted look.

"You just can't stop, can you?"

"What?"

"Dr. Brennan's logic is unassailable. Oh my God, I do like her! What am I going to do, what am I going to do? I need a protocol to follow, somebody tell me what to do!" Hodgins can't help but chuckle at Zach's obvious panic.

"Man, there is no procedure or protocol. Just go with the flow!"

"The flow of what?" Zach asks, utterly perplexed. Angela squeezes his shoulder affectionately, chuckling.

"On second thought, just let her take the lead, okay, sweetie?"

"No, that violates the concept of binary opposites. Logos is dominant over eros, it would make no sense for her to take to the lead."

"Bones! Again with the logic! Look, Zach, when are you meeting up with Michelle?"

"Mishael." Zach corrects, then checks his watch and drops his jaw."Three hours. Oh no, I have to call and cancel, I can't do this! I can't go with the flow, especially not when I don't even know what the flow is of!" Angela smacks Hodgins on the arm.

"See what you did? Zach, just be you. She must not mind your…quirks. Just have fun."

"And don't forget to test for those congenital conditions before you go!" Brennan adds as Zach walks away, his head clearly still cloudy with thought. Booth glares at Brennan again.

"No wonder the poor kid can't get a date, you squints over-analyze everything! She might not even like him!" Angela shrugs, too excited by the prospect of matchmaking for Zach to care about Booth's qualms.

"Well, I'm going to follow him anyway. Maybe I can bail him out if it gets too bad."

"I'm in." Hodgins immediately volunteers.

"Not me. The beetles should be done stripping the flesh from at least some of the bones in an hour or two, I'll be here." Brennan looks long and hard at Booth, who sighs.

"And I'll be here with her." Cam at last joins the group.

"Sorry, meeting. What do we have?"

"Hodgins and I are going to follow Zach on a date type thing. Wanna come?" Cam gives Angela a bemused glance before looking back to the body.

"I see flesh and maybe an organ or two. I'm going to be busy tonight too. You two have fun with the whole stalker thing, okay? Oh, and try not to mess it up for him, please."

"That's Mishael?"

"Wow." Angela says, not a little surprised. Mishael is built like an adult, curvy with thick caramel curls and warm brown eyes but still childish with her choice of jeans, Cheap Trick shirt, and mischievous smile. Hodgins is also surprised. Instead of looking baffled as he usually does in most social situations, Zach looks somewhat at ease, graciously pulling out her chair. Angela and Hodgins are close enough to hear the conversation.

"God, it's been so long, Zach! How are you?"

"I'm well, how about you?"

"I'm good, I'm good."

"That's a common grammatical error, actually. You're well, not good. Good is not a correct part of speech for a state of well-being." Angela and Hodgins exchange concerned glances at that, but instead of some sort of rebuke, Mishael just laughs warmly.

"I forgot how sharp you are. It's so refreshing. My apologies, working with those idiots at my job is progressively dulling my intellect. They think a doctorate in Psychology makes them infallible and refuse to defer to my additional Sociology doctorate in progress. Isn't it obvious that a degree and a half should trump one?"

"I know the feeling, trust me. You don't like your job at the CIA?" Hodgins mouths the acronym in shock and Angela shrugs.

"Not really. They're nothing like your co-workers. It's not a family environment, more like a class. I feel like a teacher, constantly correcting my student's misconceptions while trying not to foster animosity or completely destroy their self-esteem, no matter how ill-founded it is." Zach tilts his head, puzzled again.

"That is not rational. If someone is not as intelligent as they think they are, why encourage their delusions of superiority?" Mishael laughs again, further baffling him.

"Because people perform better when they feel valued. If Dr. Brennan discouraged you every time you made a mistake or an erroneous postulation, you wouldn't execute your job to the best of your ability. I know I wouldn't." Zach nods slowly.

"I accept that as reasonable deduction." Angela leans in close to Hodgins, beaming.

"They're made for each other."

"They're putting me to sleep." Mishael stands abruptly and Hodgins pales.

"We're blown, we're blown!" She stands before their table, hands on her hips.

"Any particular reason you're spying on us? Is this another counter-surveillance drill or something?" Zach comes up beside her, eyebrows furrowed.

"No, they are my co-workers, Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro. What are you two doing here?" Hodgins and Angela both stand hastily.

"Umm, you know, why don't we talk about it tomorrow, at work? Jack, let's go. Bye, Zach!" Angela blurts, shoving Hodgins out in front of her. After their speedy exit, Zach turns to Mishael in apology.

"I'm sorry; my colleagues tend to treat me like their child, or an errant pet." They re-take their seats and Zach tries his hardest not to blush.

"It's alright. Actually, it's kind of cute." Zach loses the battle against his blush and his cheeks turn pink. Mishael sees and shyly tucks a wayward curl behind an ear, her smile suddenly softer.

"I don't understand. Why is it cute to be treated as a borderline inferior?" Mishael leans across the table, her words passionate.

"Because you are superior in the best sort of a way. You're absolutely brilliant, but you still have the innocence of a child and this willingness to please that's absolutely adorable. Not to mention you say the funniest things with complete gravity."

"You make what others portray as flaws seem like positive qualities." Zach says hesitantly, the corners of his mouth pulling downward in uncertainty. Mishael props her head up on her hands and studies him fondly.

"That's because they are positive to me." Mishael says quietly. Zach smiles a little, feeling more comfortable.

"I am not very good at reading people, but I think you're flirting with me, Dr. Adams." Mishael leans back to allow the waiter to place their plates in front of them, still smiling.

"Perhaps, Dr. Addy, perhaps. But let's eat."

"Now can we talk about whether or not you were flirting with me?" Zach asks as soon as she's taken her last bite. Mishael finishes chewing and sets down her fork.

"You get straight to the point, as always." He winces at her dry tone.

"I'm sorry, I've been told that I'm much too frank. Would you like to order dessert? I seem to remember you're rather fond of chocolate."

"I am rather fond of chocolate but I'm full. As for flirting with you…" Mishael searches his eyes, and Zach sees a sort of resignation in her face that strikes him strangely unpleasantly.

"No, I wasn't. I tend to be a little overly affectionate, that's all. I'm just gonna go, okay, Zach?" She slides out of their booth and starts to walk out, followed closely by Zach.

"Mishael! Mishael!" She turns to face him, her face oddly neutral.

"I'll call you, alright?" Completely taken aback at the unexpected turn of events, Zach tries one last thing.

"When we knew each other in college, you were extremely fond of hugs as well." He says tentatively. Mishael smiles brilliantly and Zach feels a peculiar lurch in his stomach when she steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck, pressing close.

"Bye, Zach."

"Goodbye, Mishael." Zach says wistfully, watching her walk away.

When Zach comes in to work the next day, he's in the thick of an argument with Hodgins.

"I told you, I don't know what I did!"

"Think! Everything was going fine when we left!"

"Oh, are you two talking about Zach's date? How'd it go?" Zach turns to Booth, comically despondent.

"I asked her whether or not she was flirting with me." Cam stifles a snort but Brennan smiles in approval.

"Good! What did she say?" Booth throws his hands in the air.

"No, that's not good! At least not if he said it the way I think he said it." Angela's the only one who notices the way Zach is steadily deflating as they discuss his date like a scientific procedure.

"Aw, honey, you really like her, don't you?" Zach takes a seat on a stool and spins himself sadly.

"She smells like chocolate chip cookies. Warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies." The squints look away from the dejected Zach and step close together in a huddle.

"Okay. She's totally into him; we just have to fix whatever Zach did wrong." Hodgins says quite seriously. Brennan pipes in.

"I think I know." Everyone gives her a skeptical look but she's undeterred.

"If she's as intelligent as Zach says she is, Mishael may have analyzed the possibilities of him having feelings for her and decided that they were not great enough to be worth the risk. Eros defers to logos, logic over emotion." Booth shakes his head but Cam nods.

"That makes sense."

"No, it doesn't. Why would she make that assumption and ditch him?"

"She says I'm funny, and not like she's mocking me, like she actually believes it." The group spares a collective glance at Zach as he continues to revolve mournfully. Cam answers Booth's question.

"Because women always size up men and how long a relationship would last. I thought everyone knew that." Booth and Hodgins consider that as the girls of the group continue to conspire.

"We have to fix this. Look at him, it's pathetic!" Cam's right. Zach cuts a disheartening figure with his head hanging and hunched over, no longer bothering to spin the stool.

"Yes, and he's absolutely useless to me like this." That earns Brennan four critical looks and Hodgins once again contributes.

"I can get her number from my phone bill. Zach lives with me, remember?" That conspiratorial glint is in his grin but Booth is reluctant.

"I don't know. Maybe we shouldn't meddle. Maybe Zach should just let this one go."

"I dreamed about how good she felt in my arms….Gah!" Zach's words dissolve into a garbled cry of despair when he puts his head in his hands.

"Never mind." Booth mutters, embarrassed at protesting at all as Zach spins the stool so fast he tumbles off.

"Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro, right? But you, I don't know." Mishael seats herself across from the trio, and Brennan shakes her hand firmly.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan. Dr. Addy was my grad student. " Mishael chuckles at the formal introduction.

"Well, if you want to be ceremonial about it, I'm Dr. Mishael Adams. I prefer Mishael though." Brennan gets right to the point.

"Do you have feelings for Zach?" Mishael blinks and sits back, shoving a curl behind her ear uneasily.

"I was told you were direct. Still, it's very unsettling in person."

"Look, Miss Adams, Zach is the most rational and intelligent person I know."

"That's her version of a very high compliment." Angela mutters. Mishael smiles at that before turning her attention back to Brennan.

"He deserves to be completely happy, and right now he's not because he thinks you don't return his affections." Mishael blushes but leans forward in surprise, interested.

"He…He likes me? As more than a friend?"

"Well, yeah. Isn't it obvious?" Angela says.

"No. Zach is logic, reason and rationale. He doesn't believe in anything he can't measure with a graduated cylinder. Can you blame me for thinking the rational empiricist might not like the soft scientist?"

"Zach told you about that name?" Brennan has the grace to look semi-ashamed, or at least uncomfortable. Mishael just grins.

"Yep. It's understandable. You, as a brilliant scientist, should know that some people are genetically inclined to be more rational and some to be more intuitive. You are obviously the former, just as I am obviously the latter."

"You know, you're surprisingly reasonable for a psychologist." She says completely seriously. Mishael chuckles.

"I try to leave the psychologist at my job, Dr. Brennan." The mirth fades and her eyes gleam with moisture.

"Are…are you sure? Zach has feelings for me?"

"Yes." Angela, Hodgins, and Brennan state unequivocally in unison. Mishael's uncertainty melts into a bright smile and she roughly wipes at her eyes with the back of a hand.

"Forgive me, it's just that I've been waiting and wondering since college. I…I never thought he'd be able to overcome himself enough to feel something."

"You should come by the lab tomorrow; surprise him. Odds are he's too afraid to do anything himself. " Hodgins says, and Brennan agrees.

"Yes, Hodgins is right. Zach is far too ill at ease with issues of dating etc." Mishael's smile turns wicked.

"What time?"

The next day at work, everyone keeps eyeing the door and Zach notices.

"Who are we expecting?"

"No one, no one." Brennan says nonchalantly, turning back to the charred remains.

"Victim appears to have been set on fire postmortem but will be clearly determined by Dr. Saroyan. Cam, he's all yours." Cam looks to the door, then back at Brennan.

"Are you sure? You don't need to examine him any more closely right now?" She asks suggestively. Brennan doesn't get the hint and shakes her head.

"No, you can go." Cam sighs heavily and gestures for two interns to move the body and follows them to autopsy but not before shooting Brennan a dirty look.

"Okay, what is everyone waiting for? I'm feeling rather excluded." Zach asks in frustration after another fifteen minutes of everybody watching the door closely. He's answered by the beep of the lock recognizing an ID card and the door hisses open and everyone including Zach turn to look so fast they almost get whiplash. It's Sweets, with one very important addition.

"Hey, guys. Look what I found wandering the halls." It's Mishael but not like anyone present has seen her. Her hair is tamed into soft waves, neatly tucked into a bun at the base of her neck. She's wearing makeup that makes her playful brown eyes stand out from her deep gold skin and perhaps most surprising of all, Mishael is in a black pinstripe dress just revealing enough to be sexy while keeping its class. Booth's eyebrows shoot up and Hodgins folds his arms and looks her up and down appreciatively.

She's _stunning_.

"Dr. Adams is a profiler with the C.I.A. here to see Zach and…no one's listening to me." Zach is staring open-mouthed at Mishael, who's blushing almost as bright as her red heels. Their gazes are locked, neither looking away and smiling bashfully. Sweets gets the hint and walks past Mishael up to the rest of the team, giving Zach a push in her direction that sets him moving on his way. He stumbles his way down the few stairs to Mishael, finally getting his mouth to work.

"Dr. Adams, what are you doing here?"

"Dr. Adams?" Zach shakes his head ever so slightly and smiles nervously.

"Right. Mishael; what are you doing here?"She shifts her weight, demonstrating how unfamiliar she is with her current manner of dress.

"Is there someplace private we can talk? Your co-workers staring and whispering is making me a little uncomfortable." Zach looks back at them, causing them to hush in unison and bustle around, trying too hard not to stare.

"Yes. Follow me." He says dryly. Inside own of the labs, Zach shuts the door behind them and turns to face Mishael, his breath catching in his throat when, from behind, he sees her release her hair and shake it loose around her shoulders. Memories of the gesture of comfort from college sweep over him and he swallows hard.

"This is where you and Hodgins do your infamous experiments?"

"Some of them, yes." Zach replies when he can breathe again. His mind is whirring but nothing is coming to him. Mishael turns to face him, smiling, lit by the glow of the slightly blue lights and Zach can't help himself anymore.

"What?" She asks, reading his confusion.

In two steps, he has her waist firmly in his grasp and presses his lips against her plump pink ones, muffling her yelp of surprise. All of Zach's uncertainty and fear are wiped away as Mishael's arms come up around his neck and her fingers weave themselves into his hair, just starting to recover from the makeover. They kiss almost harshly, both groaning at what they've wanted for so long.

"I think the appropriate term is wow." Zach mumbles when they part, meeting Mishael's smile with one of his own, his eyes half-lidded from unfamiliar pleasure. She pulls him into another kiss that rapidly deepens until Zach is all too aware of the warmth of their bodies pressed together. Reluctantly he pulls back, chest heaving, and rests his forehead on hers as he practically gasps for air.

"Zach, I do believe that's the most impulsive thing you've done in your life. I like it." Mishael murmurs, kissing him lightly on the cheek and smiling against his skin.

"I…I've never had a real relationship but I think I can. I've seen several romantic comedies and there's always Angela and Hodgins to ask for advice, and I've been told I'm really a very sweet person and…" As he talks, his hands come up to anxiously stroke her back in time with his hurried words. Mishael puts a finger on his lips, stopping his rambling.

"Summarize, Zach?"

"Will…will you be my girlfriend? I…" He looks genuinely afraid but takes a deep breath and gathers the courage to finish his thought. "I think I'm falling in love with you. Or I could, given a little more time to reason it out."

"Yes. Of course." Zach feels his breath coming quicker and quicker as Mishael lets her hands wander, memorizing every inch of him above the waist.

"You know, I think you should do something else impulsive and tell your boss you need the rest of the day off." Zach manages to lift a brow with askance despite the potent urge to kiss her again currently taking up all of his thinking power.

"Why do I need the rest of the day off?" Mishael takes both of his hands in hers, looking up at him warmly and Zach's eyes get big with understanding.

"I have to go ask Dr. Brennan!" He yells, running out. Mishael shakes her head and follows at a markedly slower pace, observing him and laughing under her breath at his exuberance.

"Dr. Brennan, I need the rest of the day off!" Booth and Brennan exchange amused glances.

"Sure. You've never used any of your vacation time so it's not a problem."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Zach exclaims, practically falling down the stairs in his haste.

"Wait, Zach." Cam says calmly. He turns slowly, his face a humorous mask of dread.

"Technically, I'm your boss. Only I can give you the day off." Unable to keep a straight face at Zach's brown puppy dog eyes, Cam laughs.

"Take tomorrow too."

"Zach's supposed to be back today, right?" Angela asks as the team waits for the Angelator to finish rendering.

"Yep. Unless he calls in again. I know I would; you guys didn't say how hot Michelle is."

"Her name is Mishael. Besides, Zach's already late. He's never late." Brennan mutters.

"Why the sullen tone, Bones?" Booth asks slyly. Sweets feels the need to inject his two cents at that.

"She's jealous. Dr. Brennan is used to being the only significant female influence in Zach's life; she feels threatened by Mishael." Brennan protests as the rest stifle chuckles at her indignation.

"That's not true! Besides, shouldn't Zach have gotten here with Hodgins?"

All eyes turn to Hodgins, who shrugs innocently.

"He called last night and said he wouldn't need a ride."

"Sorry I'm late." Zach blows in the door, his hair disheveled and a goofy grin stretching across his normally blank expression.

"Why are you late, Zach?" Booth asks suggestively. Zach unsuccessfully tries to tone down his smile.

"We fell asleep on the couch watching Firefly reruns last night. I only woke up an hour ago but I got here as fast as I could. Actually, Mishael got me here as fast as she could."

"Wait a minute; what did you guys _do_ for the past two days?" Angela asks, expressing the team's sentiments.

"Well, we watched all the Star Wars movies in chronological order rather than by storyline, which I explained made absolutely no sense but she insisted. Then we made waffles, and had a whipped cream fight, and then we watched a Battlestar Galactica DVD set…." Hodgins cuts him off with a wave of his hands.

"So you two didn't actually…" Zach tilts his head, his smile fading into a mild frown. Booth sighs in frustration and gets to the point.

"Did you hit a home run or not?"

"Booth!" Brennan scolds.

"Well, I, for one, want to know!" Zach leans over to Hodgins and whispers something in his ear. He rolls his eyes and whispers back, Zach's eyes growing bigger and bigger. Finally, they separate and Zach answers slowly, his back straighter and a little smile dancing in his eyes.

"I don't kiss and tell." There's new confidence in his voice and Angela giggles at the shock on Hodgins face.

"So was it postponed or did you get thrown out?" Booth asks, getting himself a smack on the arm from Cam.

"To stay with the baseball metaphor, we are looking forward to a long and successful season." Hodgins extends a hand, palm up, and Zach gives him a strong high-five. There's a knock at the door and Angela calls out.

"Come on in, we're just delving into Zach's personal life." The door swings open slowly and Mishael steps in, clearly amused.

"Zach, you left your laptop in my car." Zach quickly steps forward and takes it from her, smiling warmly.

"Thank you, dear." Angela rolls her eyes at the somewhat old-fashioned nickname but there's nothing old-fashioned about the way Zach pulls her to him and covers her mouth with his, coaxing a moan of approval from Mishael.

"Oh God, is this going to turn into Hodgins and Angela all over again?" Cam groans. Zach releases Mishael and looks over his shoulder at Cam, grinning smugly before looking back to his girlfriend.

"I'll see you tonight. Thanks again, darling."

"No problem." Mishael turns to walk away and Zach takes the liberty of smacking her on the backside, earning a wink before the door shuts behind her.

"What?" He asks, facing the teams incredulous stares.


End file.
